Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-29

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries, primary and secondary schools close for two months or more in the summer holidays.

What is the value of long school holidays?

What are the arguments in favour of shorter school holidays?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

In the majority of countries that exists over the world the primary and secondary learning centers are usually not open and do not continue any type of courses for students during these two months of summer vacations. Consequently, the pupils can spend more time in improve their practical skills, however some individuals argue that the holidays of summer should be shorter.

Firstly, Summer holidays are usually given to the students to switch off and get some relaxation from study. Therefore, individuals can get more time to active their inner skills and improve them. For example, some pupils join skill related classes like swimming, painting or singing as well in vacations. It helps them to grow their overall personality and humanity. These kinds of activities bring more confidence and productivity in the students. at the end of the day two months of holidays is crucial for student's overall growth.

Secondly, many people of society opine that whenever children get longer holidays, they cannot hangout with their friends and teachers so at the end of the day they get bored every day moreover this type of situation kills their socializing abilities. One of the main reasons behind the demand of shorter holidays is after completion of long holidays their confidence get lost by loneliness. on the other hand, they feel shy to converse with anyone. This issue can create mental effect on the child. So, the people who says holidays should be shorter they actually are not wrong.

To sum up all these things, the holiday can improve overall personality of children but also can kill their growth. Majority of students uses their vacations in better way by developing their practical Skills on the other hand, many pupils spend their summer holidays in worst way as well by doing nothing at home.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention skill development and social isolation, the arguments lack depth and specific, well-explained examples. For instance, the claim that long holidays 'kill socializing abilities' is a strong assertion that requires more nuanced explanation to be fully convincing. The position is clear, but the conclusion is slightly repetitive and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented. To improve, ensure each point is supported by a clear explanation or a more detailed illustration.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'To sum up', which help the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'at the end of the day' used twice in close proximity, which feels repetitive. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear; for example, in the third paragraph, the connection between 'loneliness' and 'shyness' could be more smoothly linked. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and ensuring they are used naturally would enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'practical skills', 'productivity', and 'socializing abilities'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'active their inner skills' (should be 'activate' or 'develop') and 'create mental effect' (should be 'have a negative impact on mental health'). The range is sufficient for a Band 6, but to reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise, academic vocabulary and demonstrate a better grasp of collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('countries that exists', 'people who says'), incorrect preposition usage ('in improve'), and awkward phrasing ('Majority of students uses'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences lacking proper capitalization or containing run-on structures. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and refining your control over complex sentence structures will significantly improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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